Hello! Here we are. This is Gabriel. How are you? How is your heart? Mine is sore.

If you been out there on the frontlines: Thank you for doing that. I want to hear about it, if you feel like sharing. Feel free to hit reply on this email.

If you’re unable or unwilling to be on the frontlines, I hope you know you’re part of this too. I hope you know the things you have to give are needed too.

I have found Margaret Killjoy’s newsletter, Jamelle Bouie’s YouTube channel, CrimethInc., and this Atlantic article by Adam Serwer to be educational and thought-provoking and inspiring, if you’re looking for that. The Margaret Killjoy one has some good vetted places to donate linked at the bottom if you’re looking for that.

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The shows this past autumn went brilliantly. Very different performances in very different places, all of them with audiences full of lovely and generous people. Thank you to everyone who came out. I had so much fun.

I meant to get a newsletter out more immediately afterwards, but I am still in the habitual cycle of drumming myself up to do Big Exciting Art Thing and then Retreating To My Chambers for much longer than I expect too. I intend to seek out a more sustained rhythm in this new year. Let’s see how that goes.

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Speaking of this new year: I’ve started work on my next play, which is actually a series of plays. Moss, the play I’ve been performing for the past year and change, is very much a singular, self-contained entity. This new project is a bigger lift. Moss, the text of Moss, appears to be approaching some kind of “final” form that I expect to carry and continue to perform for years to come. The Courier Plays I expect I will be both writing AND performing for years to come.

The Courier Plays will have its first workshop in April.

More on that soon. Please stand by.

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For those following along: The little reading challenge I set for myself — Reading at least one page of a book every day from September 1st to December 31st — was a complete success. There were times when I forgot to read until just before going to bed and had to read that page while mostly asleep then re-read it the next day because I didn’t internalize anything, but I did it.

I reread Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer and then read the first third or so of Authority, the next book in VanderMeer’s seminal Southern Reach series. God these books are good. What a perfect series to come back into being a reader again after so many years of reading almost no books at all.

I want very much to learn to write clearly, beautifully, and evocatively about the uncanny and the unexplainable. VanderMeer is becoming a north star for me in that.

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I have an ASK for anyone who has come to see any of my performances in the past few years, or has listened to the Thicket & Bramble podcast, or both. As I spin up the next stage of T&B, spruce up my website, start applying for grants and fellowships and such, I am in need of words from people who like my stuff.

If you have a moment, and you feel comfortable with me using your words on the internet for marketing purposes, please hit reply on this email. Share with me your thoughts and feelings on the work, and on me as a performer. Please also share how you’d like to be credited (name, pronouns, profession, etc). If you’re not sure what kind of thing to write and you need a prompt, let me know.

Also: If you have cool stuff you’re making that you’d like me to spread the word about in a future edition of this newsletter, please let me know! We can trade.

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One more thing: In conjunction with writing the new play, I’m starting to dream up the pathway along which I’ll be touring the show later this year. To that end, I’ve been tinkering with a Host Survey: A simple form prospective hosts can fill out to give me an idea of the kinds of performances they’re interested in hosting in their space.

I’ve got a list of people who will receive that survey within the next few weeks. So far, there’s 19 people on it. If you’ve ever said to me you’re interested in hosting a T&B show, you’re on that list. If you might want to host and you haven’t said so, or you’re not sure if you’ve said so, hit reply on this email and let me know and I’ll add you to the list.

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That’s all for now. I’m sending love. Check in with people. Check in with yourself. Hold on to the hold on stuff and let go of the let go stuff. We’re going to make it.

Thank you for being here.

Gabriel Maria Rodriguez
they/them
Hudson Valley
1.31.2026
thicket-bramble.com